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(No Model.) I

J. C. THOMPSON. WIRE STRBTCHER. No. 454,670. Patented June 23,1891.

Inl/anima.'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA C. THOMPSON, OF NORTH SALEM, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES W. CHOWNING, OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE-STRETCH ER.

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent` No. 454,670, dated 3' une 23, 1891.

Application filed November 20, 1890. Serial No. 371,993. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSHUA O'. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Salem, in the county of Hendricks and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class ofAwire-stretchers for wire fences which consist of a bracket adapted to be secured to a wooden post, a windlass.mounted in bearings in said bracket, and a retaining device to prevent the windlass from turning backward.

The Object of my improvement is to provide a wire-stretcher of the class described in which all the parts may be easily molded and cast and which shall require no drilling` or other machine-work to bring them into condition for operative combination, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure l is a plan; Fig. 2, avertical section at a, Fig. l; and Fig. 3, a front elevation having the windlass removed.

The bracket consists of Va base-plate A, adapted to rest against the side of a post, and a pair of horizontal projecting arms B B, having formed therein open bearings C C. The base-plate has a slot s, through which the wire passes to the windlass. The windlass consists of a spool D, having a central diametrical opening e to receive the end of the wire F,a square collar H, a pair of cylindrical journals I I, adapted to rest and turn in the bearings C, and a square head J, all cast in one piece. The windlass is mounted in the bearings of the bracket, and the wire, passing through the slot s and over the spool D, is wound thereon by turning in the direction indicated by the arrow.

For the purpose of preventing the backward turning of the windlass and thus holding the wire taut I mount on one of the arms B a sliding pawl L, having parallel edges and adapted to fill the space between the inner surface of the base A of the bracket and either of the sides of the collarHwhen turned parallel with the base. PawlL has a central longitudinal open slot M, adapted to receive and slide easily upon either of the arms B of the bracket, and its lower end is tapered backward at the front edge from a point oppositel the center of the bearing C. A double pawl is thus formed, which may be mounted on either arm of the bracket, so that the square collar H may be engaged when the windlasshead projects from either side.

In operation, the` pawl being mounted by slot M on the arm of the bracket opposite the collar H of the windlass when the windlass is turned in thedirection indicated by the arrow, the lower corner of the collar engages the tapered lower end of the pawl and raises it until the side of the collar becomes parallel with the base of the bracket, and the pawl then falls, filling the space and preventing by engagement with the upper corner of the collar thewindlass from turning backward.

It will be observed that each of the parts is so formed that it may be easily molded, and that the parts when cast are adapted to be put together without machine-Work.

I claim as my invention- In a wire-stretcher, the combination, with the bracket and the windlass mounted so as to turn therein and having the rectangular collar H, of the sliding double pawl L, having parallel edges and adapted to lill the space between the inner surface of the base of the bracket and said collar, the front edge of said pawl being tapered backward from a point opposite the bearing of the windlass, substantially as shown and described, said pawl being adapted to embrace and slide upon the arm of the bracket and to automatically secure the windlass in the manner set forth. JOSHUA C. THOMPSON. Witnesses:

, H. P. HOOD,

CHAs. W. CHOWNING. 

